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Temperature, Labor Reallocation, and Industrial Production: Evidence from India

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  • Colmer, Jonathan

    (University of Virginia)

Abstract

To what degree can labor reallocation mitigate the economic consequences of weather-driven agricultural productivity shocks? I estimate that temperature-driven reductions in the demand for agricultural labor in India are associated with increases in non-agricultural employment. This suggests that the ability of non-agricultural sectors to absorb workers may play a key role in attenuating the economic consequences of agricultural productivity shocks. Exploiting firm-level variation in the propensity to absorb workers, I estimate relative expansions in manufacturing output in more flexible labor markets. Estimates suggest that, in the absence of labor reallocation, local economic losses could be up to 69% higher.

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  • Colmer, Jonathan, 2021. "Temperature, Labor Reallocation, and Industrial Production: Evidence from India," IZA Discussion Papers 14604, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
  • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp14604
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    industrial production; labor reallocation; temperature;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions

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